Fisherman's Wharf is the most touristy corner of San Francisco, and locals will tell you so — a waterfront of souvenir shops, chain restaurants, and street performers built around what was once the heart of the city's Italian fishing fleet. But, much like the old Les Halles in Paris, it is also a genuine hub: this is where you catch the ferries to Alcatraz and Angel Island, and where the northern-waterfront walk and the cable car lines meet the bay.
Go in with the right expectations and there is real fun to be had. Eat a sourdough bread bowl of clam chowder or a fresh crab cocktail from the stalls, watch the sea lions hauled out on the docks at Pier 39, and explore the historic ships of the Maritime National Historical Park at Hyde Street Pier. Nearby Ghirardelli Square, a pioneering conversion of an old chocolate factory, offers shops and free samples, while the wonderfully old-fashioned Musée Mécanique houses a hall of antique coin-operated arcade machines. The real draw is the waterfront itself, with its clear-day views across to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate.